Opinion Quran desecration in Punjab: Is AAP’s Naresh Yadav involved or is it a political trick?

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What has raised eyebrows is the timing of this ‘AAP-MLA expose’ by the police. Vijay Kumar, alongwith his two accomplices, was arrested on June 27, exactly three days after desecration of the Quran. Earlier, police had maintained that Vijay was a ‘Pakistan and Muslim hater’ who wanted ‘revenge of Dinanagar and Pathankot terrorist attacks from Muslims.’

Patiala range IG PS Umranangal had clearly stated that ‘there was no other motive behind the act.’ A day later on June 28, it came to light that Vijay’s accomplice Nand Kishore is zonal secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Pathankot – the organization claimed that ‘their leader has been falsely implicated’.

It was only on July 2, five days after the arrest of Vijay and a night before the visit of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to Punjab, that police came up with AAP MLA theory. Also on July 2, the local media was specifically ‘called’ by the cops outside Rajindra Hospital of Patiala, where Vijay had been taken for a medical check and the media was allowed to speak to him. It was here that Vijay named AAP MLA Naresh Yadav to the media.

Now, the Punjab police claims that ‘it has enough evidence against Yadav to prove that he planned entire conspiracy with Vijay.’ “We have their call records. The calls are as long as 40 minutes and they have not spoken once but multiple times in past months. We have evidence that they met at Yadav’s place on the day of incident before Vijay left Delhi for Malerkotla. He has also claimed that Yadav had promised him Rs 1 crore,” said Sangrur SSP Pritpal Singh Thind to The Indian Express.

The MLA’s name was added to FIR for ‘conspiracy’ and ‘spreading hatred’ under section 109 and 153-A of IPC, respectively and he has now been summoned on Tuesday when Kejriwal will visit Ludhiana for a meeting with industrialists. Yadav has accepted that ‘he was in touch with Vijay over the phone and SMS’ but ‘in relation to party tickets’. Kejriwal hads already called it ‘a well-weaved conspiracy against AAP’ claiming that ‘SAD-BJP can see defeat at face in 2017.’

The only Muslim majority town in post Partition Punjab, Malerkotla is on the boil. On June 24, pages of the Quran were found strewn on the Khanna road near a drain and the small town with a history of Sikh-Muslim-Hindu harmony, witnessed arson and violence. The residential premises of local SAD MLA Farzana Alam were attacked, vehicles torched followed by firing from the police and the mob.

Interestingly, both SAD and Congress have women leaders here. The current MLA and the former MLA are also connected to the Punjab police. While Farzana is wife of ex-DGP prisons Izhar Alam, her Congress rival and former MLA Razia Sultana is wife of current DGP human rights Mohammad Mustafa.

Izhar Alam has alleged ‘Congress hand behind attack at their residence’ while MLA Farzana has now alleged that ‘it was joint Congress-AAP conspiracy’ to ‘instigate people against SAD-BJP.’ Sultana had fired back saying that ‘Alam should talk about this to deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and get Congress’ hand proved through the police.’ She also questioned ‘why Alam is quiet on VHP link and not questioning ally BJP over it?’

This is a major controversy for AAP which is poised to grievously harm both national parties in the 2017 elections. Kejriwal is visiting Malerkotla today to attend an ‘Iftaar’ party and engage in a ‘meaningful’ talk with Muslim community, accompanied by local MP Bhagwant Mann. SAD-BJP and Congress has already termed it as a ‘drama’ and said that ‘Delhi CM is trying to fish in the troubled waters of Punjab for his own political motives’.